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Proponents of net neutrality rules insist that they would protect a level playing field for upstart businesses seeking entry into the online marketplace. But the rules under consideration still leave big Web firms like Netflix exposed to potential fees from broadband providers.

Artie Minson came to Time Warner Cable Inc. last May, and by February had helped negotiate its $45 billion sale to Comcast Corp. If the finance chief’s contract is terminated after the deal closes, he’ll descend to earth on a golden parachute worth more than $27 million.

Comcast’s CFO could come under pressure from investors next year to take on debt to fund returns of capital to shareholders, an area in which analysts say Comcast lags behind peers, relative to its size.

Comcast boosted its dividend and announced a huge new share repurchase program on Wednesday, moves that could cost the cable operator upwards of $3.5 billion in 2012.

CFO Michael Angelakis said both the dividend increase and the buybacks will be funded using only cash flow from its cable operations, and not from NBCUniversal, which is jointly owned with General Electric.

On the verge of exhausting an existing buyback authorization by the end of this year, the board of cable company Comcast will institute a new one in 2012.

“We will sit down with our board and go through what we think the appropriate buyback and dividend will be for 2012,” said Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis, according to a transcript of an earnings conference call provided by Factset.